Never Too Late
by obsessed-beyond-reason2001
Summary: Ryo left ten years ago after finding Bakura cheating on him. Now he's suddenly brought back into the gangs lives by his adopted daughter. Is it too late for Bakura and Ryo, or is it Never Too Late? Tendershipping BxR Side: MokubaxOC YYxY YMxM SxJ HIATUS
1. Consider Me Gone

Prologue – Consider Me Gone

Ryo's POV

I smiled as I walked the single mile from work to the apartment I shared with my yami, happy to be released a few hours early from my job. A few months after 'Kura, Marik, and Yami left to the afterlife, they came back, saying that the gods had granted their request to stay. It didn't take long for Yami and Yugi to start dating, and then 'Kura asked me out. I had barely managed to stop myself from fainting with happiness. I said yes, of course. We had been dating for about two years now. Marik and Malik were the only pair that hadn't admitted their love for each other. We saw them often, since Isis had gotten a job at the Domino Museum. Malik and I were best friends, and he had told me that he loved his yami more than life itself. Neither of us had an answer to why Marik didn't notice his feelings. The gang had graduated from high school one year ago, but we made sure to have a 'get-together' at least once every month, and on all major holidays. We all stayed best friends.

I was pulled out of my happy thoughts when I got home. I unlocked the door and silently made my way to the bedroom that 'Kura and I shared, planning to surprise him. I ended up being surprised, though, when I quietly opened the door to see him and someone who looked like Marik having sex. He was cheating on me. I could only believe it because it was right in front of my eyes. I felt cold suddenly, like the room had lost all warmth. I quickly gathered everything I would need and left. I was going to shut him out of my life, and to do that, I would have to shut everyone out of my life. I left our –no, his– apartment, and went to the park to think, in a spot that I had never showed to anyone at all. I didn't want the others to worry, so I got out my cell phone and called Malik's, planning to get my number changed as soon as possible. I got lucky and hit the answering machine. The message I left would most likely haunt them forever, along with how cold my voice was, but I no longer cared. "Malik, this is Ryo. Don't try to find me. I just caught Bakura cheating on me with someone you know very well. I didn't want you to worry about me, so this is my good-bye note. No, I'm not going to kill myself, but I'm leaving this place. Although, who knows? Maybe we'll run into each other ten years from now. I wish you all the luck in the world. You'll always be my best friend, Malik. I'm sorry, but I have to leave." That done, I headed to the other side of town. Domino was a big city; I probably wouldn't run into anyone I knew if I lived on the other side of town, and they would think that I left entirely. I hoped to have enough time for the wounds on my heart to heal. Maybe I would see them again, but I hoped that it would be a very long time before that happened. For now, I was out of their lives, and they were out of mine.

* * *

A/N: Tendershipping streak. That's all I have to say. I'm hoping that making one a multi-chapter fic with an actual plot might help me to actually finish something. I have little to no idea on where this is going, although I have something for the next chapter, maybe. I hope. I'm going to very loosely base the chapters off of songs. This one was "Consider Me Gone" by Reba McEntire. Anyways, R&R, please!

-Mandy

P.S. Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm not going to say it again. I only own the plot and my OC's. As far as I know, I stole nothing. If you think I stole something of yours, PM me and we can work it out.


	2. My Heart Will Go On

Chapter One – My Heart Will Go On

Ryo's POV

I shook my head and laughed as my adopted daughter, Kimmy, half-dragged me to the park. She was so eager to get there it was funny. I had 'met' her nine years ago, when she was walking back, alone, to the childcare home she lived in. I had adopted her after a little while of getting to know her, and she was now Caitlyn Kimberly Bakura, a.k.a. Kimmy. She had brown hair that fell in waves down to the middle of her back and hazel eyes. Many boys her age described her as beautiful. She was seventeen, yet she was just as overly cheerful, caring, and kind as she was when she was eight, which was when I 'met' her. "Come on, Dad! I want to get to the park! I know we have all day, since it's Saturday, and you're off work, but I want to get there soon!"

"Kimmy, do you really have to drag me?" Then I smirked. "I'll bet five dollars that you'll knock someone down before noon. Besides you or me, that is." She was known for being a klutz, which was made worse by her love of rollerblading.

Kimmy looked at her watch. "I have two hours, then, since it's ten. And since that rhymed, you're on!"

When we got to the park, I told her, "I'll be under that tree over there." I pointed out an old oak tree and left to sit down under it with our picnic basket. Not five minutes after I sat down and took out my current book, I saw her knock someone down. I called out in a playful voice, "Kimmy, you owe me five dollars now!" I shook my head as she stuck her tongue out at me and quickly apologized to the stranger. Somehow, the stranger looked slightly familiar, yet I couldn't remember where I'd seen him before. I just hoped that he wasn't anyone I knew from ten years ago. I returned to my book to distract myself from the feeling that something big was about to happen, not knowing how right I was.

* * *

Kimmy's POV

I apologized to the person I had just run over. "I'm so sorry! Dad always says that he doesn't know why I like rollerblading, since I'm known for being a klutz. I've met most of my friends by knocking them down! By the way, my name's Caitlyn Kimberly Bakura, but you can just call me Kimmy. Everyone else does."

The man smiled. He looked to be around my dad's age. "No harm done, Kimmy."

I looked closely at him. "You know, you look to be around my dad's age. My dad says that he doesn't have any friends his age because he left them ten years ago. He met me a year after that and adopted me. I'm so glad he did. Dad's much nicer than the people who worked at the childcare home." I paused for a moment. "Sorry if I'm keeping you from something. I'm a chatterbox by nature."

Malik laughed. "It's okay, I'm not doing anything at all today. Well, actually I'm meeting some of my old friends, but they can wait. You seem much more interesting, like all new people are." His gaze became curious as he asked, "What's your adoptive father's name?"

"Ryo Bakura."

He gasped. "Oh my Ra. That is so ironic." Answering my obvious unasked question, he said, "Ryo was my best friend before he left ten years ago. He called my cell phone and left a message for his 'goodbye note.' Part of it even said, 'Although, who knows? Maybe we'll run into each other ten years from now.' And here we are, ten years down the road."

"Holy crap. You must be Malik, then." I immediately grabbed his hand and started to drag him over to my dad. "Come on! Let's go surprise him."

* * *

Ryo's POV

I looked up when I heard two pairs of footsteps, instead of just Kimmy's. I gasped when I saw exactly who she had run in to. "Malik?" I blinked twice, remembering the message I had left on his phone ten years ago. "…This is so ironic."

My daughter smiled. "That's what he said! I'm gonna leave you two to catch up with each other, 'k?"

Before I could reply, she skipped off to continue rollerblading. I shook my head and told Malik, "She'll knock someone else down within ten minutes." I smiled at him as he sat down next to me. "So how are you and everyone else doing?"

He replied, "We're all doing fine. Most of us, anyways. Quite a bit has happened since you left." He paused, then pulled me into a hug as he started to cry. "I missed you so much, Ryo!"

I hugged him back, starting to cry a little myself. "I missed you too, Malik. I'm sorry I had to leave. At that point, it was either leave and don't look back, or kill myself. I knew that no one would recover if I did that, so I left instead. I'd have time to heal that way."

He smiled. "Well, if you think you've healed enough, I was on my way to one of our monthly 'get-togethers.' I think that everyone would love to see you again."

I laughed. "Sure, why not? Kimmy can 'meet the family,' even."

He grinned and stood back up before offering me a hand. I took it, and he helped me up. "Let's go, then! Most of us, if not all, get there around eleven. We can catch up on the way."

I nodded. "Sounds good to me." I looked for my daughter in time to see her run over another person. "Kimmy, stop running into people and get over here!"

She skipped over. I don't know how she didn't fall, since she was still wearing her skates. "Are we going to meet the rest of your friends?"

"Am I really that easy to read?"

"No, but after living with someone for nine years, you can read them like an open book."

Malik shook his head at us before saying, "Come on, then, let's go! I want to see just how surprised everyone will be when they see you."

* * *

A/N: And so we take off! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my friend Kim, who probably isn't even reading this! (And if she is, she'd better review!) I'm gonna get confused later on, I know it. So when I talk about her (the OC) it will always be 'Kimmy.' Not her first name, but her nickname. "My Heart Will Go On" is by Céline Dion. Next chapter: "Far Away"

R&R, please!

-Mandy


	3. Far Away

Chapter Two – Far Away

Ryo's POV

I was kind of nervous. Actually, that was an understatement. I would be seeing everyone for the first time in ten years. Not only that, but I had an adopted daughter, who just asked me, "Dad, are you nervous or something?"

I sighed. "Yes, of course I am. This will be the first time I've seen my old friends in ten years. Not to mention the fact that I have a seventeen-year-old adopted daughter. Who started this whole thing because she ran into one of said old friends and knocked him over within ten minutes of our bet that said she would knock someone over before noon, which was a very generous time limit."

Malik, curious as ever, asked, "Does she really run into people that often?"

I chuckled. "If she's standing, walking, or doing anything other than sitting or laying down (and sometimes even then), she manages to knock at least one person down every ten minutes."

Kimmy said playfully, "Dad, you're forgetting that one time that I actually lasted an entire hour!"

I laughed, remembering what happened at the end of said hour. "And then you knocked ten people down at the same time."

"I represent that!" (1)

Malik smiled sadly. "You really have changed, Ryo. So much more than the rest of us."

I shook my head. "I haven't changed nearly that much, Malik!"

Everything else that I was about to say was suddenly cut off as my best friend said, "We're here!"

I smiled. "Looks like the shop, at least, hasn't changed on the outside." We were outside of the game shop that Yugi and Yami lived over.

Malik, tired of me staring at it, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the shop. "Come on! Don't you want to see everyone again? And Kimmy ought to be introduced!"

Said daughter of mine smiled. "Finally! Dad told me about you all, albeit I never saw any pictures. I want to meet everyone!"

I smiled and stepped into the shop, pulling her with me. I looked around, noting that everyone was indeed already there, and were all busy staring at me in shock, except for Malik. Finally, Yugi asked, "Ryo?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's me, Yugi."

Joey was the next one to speak. "We thought you were gone for good! Didn't you leave town?"

I laughed and shook my head. "That's what I thought you all would think, but I only moved to the other side of town. And since Domino is such a big city…" I paused, yet seeing no one else was about to speak, I soon continued. "But, as fate would have it, my hyper klutz of a daughter ran into Malik today, within ten minutes of our bet that she would knock someone over before noon. And being the chatterbox she is, quickly found out that we knew each other."

Seeing that everyone was speechless at the thought that I had a daughter, since I was gay, Kimmy stepped up. "As his adopted daughter, I take full responsibility for this reunion." Pouting, she added, "Now can someone please do the introductions? I've listened to his stories for the past nine years! I want to meet everyone!"

Seemingly those were the magic words to get everyone moving again, although I wondered if it was to introduce themselves or because she was adopted, which meant I was still gay. Pointing to everyone as they, or most of them anyways, waved back, Malik said, "That's Yugi, Yami, Joey, Seto, Tea, Tristan, Duke, Serenity," –here, he looked at me apologetically– "Marik, and Bakura."

I saw her blink twice at the last name, a habit she had picked up from me, meaning that she was surprised. I hoped she didn't say that I had never mentioned Bakura. Thankfully, she must have figured out that he was at least part of the reason I left, and didn't say a word about it. She smiled at my friends. "Caitlyn Kimberly Bakura, a.k.a. Kimmy, at your service. I'm the 'hyper klutz of a daughter' that Dad mentioned."

Yugi, friendly as ever, smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Kimmy. Do you really knock people over that often?"

She grinned ruefully and said, "Yes. And like Dad says, the rollerblading doesn't really help. I'm always a klutz, and it just makes it worse."

I smirked at her and added, "At her school they have a betting pool on how many different people she'll knock over each week. 'Over one hundred' is the most popular bet. I usually go for one-fifty."

Everyone laughed as she whined, "Dad, that's not fair! I only knocked over ninety people this week!"

I smiled as everyone came up to me and welcomed me home. Kimmy broke the awkwardness, like she always does. She makes people feel so comfortable around her. We spent the next hour or so talking and catching up.

* * *

Kimmy's POV

I smiled as Dad started catching up with his friends. I had never seen him so happy in all of the nine years that I had known him. I stepped away and saw the man named Bakura leaving, so I went after him to find out why. Waiting until we were out of earshot, meaning outside, I asked, "Why are you leaving? Don't you want to say hi to my dad?"

He sighed as he turned to face me. "I don't think I could face him, seeing as I'm the reason he left."

I nodded. "I kind of guessed that, since I had never heard your name before today. He told me about everyone else. But what did you do? He never told me why he left."

He looked away. "We had been dating for two years. Someone knocked on the door half an hour after he left for work. He looked so much like Marik that I let him in without a second thought. It ended up that the man was a really bad person; he tied me to the bed and raped me. Ry saw it and thought that I was cheating on him, since he looked similar to Marik. That's when he left."

I gasped. "Then you need to tell him what really happened, not run away!"

"But will he listen? I don't see why he would ever want to talk to me again."

I smirked. "Matchmaking is my specialty. Give me your number and address, and your work schedule just in case, and I'll make sure he talks to you." As he opened his mouth to protest, I added, "It's obvious that you feel guilty, but it wasn't your fault if the guy raped you. I'll make sure to call you when I manage to convince him to come."

He sighed and shook his head. "I can already see that you can be really stubborn." He gave me what I asked for, then looked at me with the guiltiest, most remorseful, and most sorrowful look I had ever seen on a person, all rolled into one. "I really regret that day. I've missed him so much, yet now that he's here, I can't even bring myself to say hello. I'd be forever in your debt if you can help me."

I smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's obvious that you really love him. In all the years I've known him, he hasn't dated a single person, so it's possible that he's still in love with you." My face turning serious again, I said, "Just be warned: if you hurt him, you will pay."

Before he left, he said, "I hope that I never hurt him again."

I smiled, satisfied with today's work so far. Turning to go back into the game shop, I bumped into someone. Surprisingly, neither of us fell. Looking up, I began to apologize. "I'm so sorry! I have a really bad habit of bumping into people, although this is the first time that neither me nor the person I bumped into has fallen."

A boy who looked like he might be around three years older than me grinned and said, "Don't worry about it. I tend to bump into people a lot myself." I took a good look at the boy. He had black hair only a little bit shorter than mine and purplish-black eyes. He looked to be around my height, and seemed very likeable. I smiled back at him as he introduced himself. "My name's Mokuba Kaiba. What's yours?"

"Caitlyn Kimberly Bakura, although most people just call me Kimmy."

I blushed as he took my hand and kissed it. No one else had ever done that before, and I was unsure of how to respond. "May I call you Caitlyn? It is a fitting name for someone as pretty as you."

My blush deepened. I knew that he was flirting with me, but I didn't care, even though I usually disliked people flirting with me. It was actually kind of flattering, coming from him. Soft-spoken for once, I replied, "If you want to, I don't mind. Thanks for the compliment." Surprisingly, I found myself thinking that if he wanted to, Mokuba could very easily win my heart. For most people that would be impossible, yet I already liked this one.

He smiled at me. "So where were you heading? I would love to walk you there."

I laughed. "Sorry, but I was actually just heading back inside the game shop. Now that I actually remember that you're related to Seto Kaiba, I think it's safe to say that you're heading in too, right?"

He nodded, seemingly surprised that I was also going in. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? I don't mean to sound rude, but the shop is closed. Did I miss something?"

I grinned at his confusion, my expression saying 'I-know-something-you-don't.' "I'm thinking you definitely missed something. I'd suggest we head inside if you want to see."

Not waiting for an answer, I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shop, much like my dad pulled me in earlier. He gasped, like everyone else that day, as he saw my dad. "Oh my Ra. Ryo?"

The room looked up at Mokuba's late entrance. Dad answered with a smile, "Yes, it's me, Mokuba. To answer the inevitable question, I'm here because my adopted daughter ran into Malik earlier today. It looks like you've already met said daughter."

Seeing he was too shocked to respond, I smiled and said, "I just bumped into him about three minutes ago."

Dad shook his head and said playfully, "You really like bumping into people, huh?"

Mokuba chose to come out of his shock at that moment, before I could respond. He looked at me and said, "Wait, so you're the adopted daughter of Ryo?" I nodded, smiling softly. It was nice that he actually paid attention to me before really talking to my dad. The rest of them had forgotten me and went straight to chatting with him. "Well, that was unexpected. Something new happens every day around here."

I blushed lightly as he pulled me down to sit next to him on a couch that I hadn't noticed before. I decided not to protest, like I would have with almost anyone else. It actually felt comfortable, and it meant I would be a part of the conversation. It was really hard to dislike him. We spent the next few hours talking about everything and nothing, just sitting on that couch, getting to know each other.

* * *

A/N: Wow. (1) is a family joke. Instead of saying, "I resent that," we say "I represent that." Anyways, I am really liking this story. Even though the plot bunnies decided to make it rape instead of cheating. I have no control over them. I just had to add Mokuba in there. Age bending may have happened, I'm not sure. This chapters' song was "Far Away" by Nickelback. What will happen? Tune in next time to find out on "Another You." Please R&R.

-Mandy


	4. Another You

Chapter Three – Another You

Kimmy's POV

I felt really happy as I sat on the couch with Mokuba. Reuniting Dad with his old friends, seeing him so happy, made me happy. Meeting Mokuba was nice for me, too. I like him. He's the first boy around my age that I've let within my walls for three months, ever since my boyfriend died. I was still happy every day, but only because I know he would have wanted me to be. Mokuba, though, made me happy without trying, like a drug that I couldn't get enough of. I don't know how or why, since I only just met him a few hours ago. Speaking of, he asked me, "What's your favorite hobby, Caitlyn? You'd be surprised at how much you can tell about a person from their hobbies."

I smiled, happy that he asked, yet slightly sad because my hobby was partly due to my old boyfriend. "I love playing the piano and singing."

Dad smiled at me, knowing what I was thinking about. "She's the best I've ever heard, although she somehow thinks she's horrible. But how can one not be a great player if they love it to the point of obsession?"

Yugi, by far one of the nicest people I have ever met, smiled and said to me, "We have a piano over in the corner, if you'd like to play it."

When I saw the piano, I exclaimed, "Thank you!" I nearly ran over to it. When I saw it, I nearly fell to my knees in awe. Inspecting it thoroughly, I said, "Holy crap. I've only seen pictures of this model of parlor grand piano, it's so rare. Not even when I dragged Dad into shops." Barely aware of my surroundings, I hardly noticed Dad telling them that I did this a lot with new pianos: totally ignore my surroundings. Finished with my inspection, I sat on the chair provided and played a few notes. "Excellent condition, considering its age, and perfectly in tune. Wow." Coming back down to Earth, I grinned and said, "Any suggestions? Or requests, for that matter, if you don't think they're the same."

Mokuba smiled softly at me. "Play whatever you feel comfortable playing, Caitlyn."

I smiled back at him, then chose what I was going to play. Doing the necessary introduction, I lifted my head to look upwards and said, partly to myself, partly to the others, "This is one of my favorites, and was also well-liked by my old boyfriend. He said that it was what he wanted me to play when I was ready to move on, if he ever died. And now I'm ready, Justin. I'll never forget you, but I'm moving on." With that said, I put my fingers to the keys, and started playing, starting to sing when it was time.

_So many times I was alone I couldn't sleep_

_You left me drowning in the tears of memory_

_And ever since you've gone, I found it hard to breathe_

_Cause there was so much that your heart just couldn't see_

_A thousand wasted dreams rolling off my eyes_

_But time's been healing me and I say goodbye_

_Cause I can breathe again, dream again_

_I'll be on the road again_

_Like it used to be the other day_

_Now I feel free again, so innocent_

_Cause someone makes me whole again _

_For sure, I'll find another you_

_Could you imagine someone else is by my side_

_I've been afraid he couldn't keep myself from falling_

_My heart was always searching for a place to hide_

_Could not await the dawn to bring another day_

_You're not the only one so hear me when I say_

_The thoughts of you, they just fade away_

_Cause I can breathe again, dream again_

_I'll be on the road again_

_Like it used to be the other day_

_Now I feel free again, so innocent_

_Cause someone makes me whole again _

_For sure, I'll find another you_

_Sometimes I see you when I close my eyes_

_You're still apart of my life_

_But I can breathe again, dream again_

_I'll be on the road again_

_Like it used to be the other day_

_Now I feel free again, so innocent_

_Cause someone makes me whole again _

_For sure, I'll find another you_

_Oh, I'll find another you_

I don't know when it was, but at some point when I was singing, I started crying. That song meant so much to me. Luckily, crying doesn't hinder my singing, it only makes it stronger. I looked around once I'd finished to see all but Dad staring at me in shock. "Is everyone speechless because I was really good or really bad?"

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, Mokuba said, "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I thought it was impossible to play that well."

I blushed as everyone else started praising me, too. "Thanks…" I was starting to realize just how weird this day had been. It felt… good, since I never had any close friends besides Justin. I was so happy that I ran into Malik earlier. When Dad said, reluctantly, that we had to go home now, they made him swear that he would keep in touch this time; then I got their phone numbers so that I could make sure of that. And the best part was that Mokuba asked me to meet him at a cafe near my house after school on Monday. This was, by far, the best day of my life.

* * *

A/N: Well, then, there we go. Chapter Three is done, and the song I used is "Another You" by Cascada. I hope this was good. I wanted to build my OC's back story a little bit. Chapters One – Three all happen on the same day, as I just now realized. I'm gonna try to get back on track with the next one. Next up: 'Here Without You.' Please R&R.

-Mandy


	5. Here Without You

Chapter Four – Here Without You

Bakura's POV

I can't believe it. Ten years, and Ryo finally shows up… yet I'm too scared to talk to him. I'm scared that he won't listen. I'm afraid of rejection. I've spent all these years wishing that he would come back, but I can't bring myself to talk to him. I know that his daughter, Kimmy, was right yesterday, and that I shouldn't blame myself if the guy raped me, yet I can't help but feel guilty. For what, I'm not sure. Maybe because even though I didn't want to, I ended up hurting the one I loved so much that he felt he either had to leave or commit suicide. I hate myself for that.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts, I had ended up entirely cleaning the small apartment that I lived in by myself. I chuckled. Before Ryo left, I had always been fairly messy, but now the apartment was so clean that it looked like I was a neat freak, when I really just had too much time on my hands.

I was startled to hear the phone suddenly start ringing. "Hello? This is the Akefia residence, may I ask who's calling?"

I heard laughter from the other end of the line. "This is Kimmy. Remember? Ryo's daughter?"

I blinked, surprised. "Yes, how could I forget?"

The girl chuckled. "You have no idea how many times I've heard that. Anyways, I wanted to ask if it was okay with you if Dad and I came over in about half an hour. He doesn't know where we're going, though. But if he runs away, I'll know why." The last part came across as very ominous to me, and I had a sudden feeling that I really didn't want to get on this girl's bad side. She laughed again. "Ra, we must have the weirdest relationship ever."

I decided that I might want to interrupt now. "Half an hour sounds fine to me. I have so much time on my hands that I just finished cleaning the entire apartment. I have nothing else to do, most of the time. So come over as soon as you want."

I could almost hear the smile in her voice as she squealed. "Thank you so much! Ever since I first 'met' him, it always felt like there was something missing in his life. I think that it was you and your group of friends. So thanks for making Dad so happy."

I could hear a voice come from over her shoulder. "Kimmy, who are you talking to?"

She squeaked in fright. "Uh-oh, gotta go, bye!" Then all I could hear was the dial tone. I sat down on the couch to wait.

* * *

Ryo's POV

I was still glaring daggers at my daughter. She wouldn't tell me who she was talking to, only that we were going to meet him. I had gotten dressed and we were on our way, but I still wanted to know. She glanced at me over her shoulder and said, "Dad, cool down. We're almost there, and you need to be calm when we see him. Okay? Calm. So calm down, please?"

I couldn't resist her puppy-dog eyes. I sighed and deflated my anger bubble. I think Kimmy is rubbing off on me… I smirked. "Kimmy?" She waved, a sign to continue. "Are we there yet?"

She laughed. "Dad, I think I'm rubbing off on you."

I grinned in reply. "That's what I said." She shook her head. "We have the weirdest relationship ever."

She smiled and mimicked me. "That's what I said." Checking the numbers on the paper she had written down this 'friends' address on, she said, "Hey, we're here!"

We had stopped in front of a fancy-looking apartment complex. From the outside, it looked like each apartment could house a family of ten and ten more guests and still have room to spare. I whistled in admiration. "Kimmy, who is this friend? It looks like he's made quite a name for himself."

She smirked. "Dad, you haven't watched the news in ten years, have you?" I slowly shook my head 'no.' "You are going to have a heart attack. Even I had no idea he was this successful, since he was complaining to me on the phone that he had so much time on his hands he was forced to clean his apartment to have something to do. Although, considering what his job is, that's explainable."

I pouted. "Kimmy!"

She shook her head. "He's a writer, or so I've heard. He's in apartment 103, by the way." I was just about ready to start pulling her along when she stopped in front of a door. I hadn't even been paying attention to our surroundings, but I noticed that this was the aforementioned apartment. She knocked on the door, and we heard a crash as a response, followed by a very loud 'ouch!' Both of us winced. "That didn't sound good."

When I saw exactly who Kimmy wanted me to see, I fainted. The last thing I registered was the feeling of his strong, familiar arms catching me as I fell. It was Bakura…

* * *

I woke up hearing two familiar voices talking like the best of friends: my daughter and my ex-boyfriend. What did I miss? As I slowly fought my way to a state of awareness, I heard Bakura's worried voice. "Do you think he'll wake up soon? I understand why he fainted. I want to, no, I need to explain what happened…"

Kimmy said soothingly, "Don't worry about it. In fact, I bet that he's waking up now and can hear every word we say. He told me once that it's almost like he has to fight his way to wakefulness when he faints, and he's weaker than a newborn kitten for a few minutes afterwords."

I managed to force my eyes open to look at the two of them. I whispered, "I'm awake now. Where am I?" It certainly wasn't a room that I recognized. When she saw that I was awake, Kimmy left the room.

Bakura laughed slightly as he helped me drink some water. "We're in my bedroom in my apartment, and you are currently lying down on the bed. Considering that you fainted upon seeing me, it was only fitting."

I blushed and looked away. "Sorry… What did you want to explain?"

This time it was his turn to look away as he tone grew guilty. "About what really happened the day you left. I heard a knock on the door half an hour after you left for work. The person looked so much like Marik that I let him in without a second thought. He wasn't, though. He tied me to the bed and raped me. I guess that you saw that, but didn't look close enough to see the ropes, or that it wasn't Marik."

I blushed even more. "I feel stupid now. I'm sorry, 'Kura."

He looked surprised. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Ry! You had nothing to do with it! I might have reacted the same way, for all we know!" After a moment, we both shook our heads and said in unison, "No, you'd/I'd probably kill the guy first."

I hugged him tightly. "I missed you, 'Kura."

He hugged me tighter and replied, "I missed you too, Ry. I love you." I smiled into his shoulder and hugged him tighter. We both knew that I loved him too, and no more words needed to be said.

* * *

A/N: And there we go! Done! Fluffy! From "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down. I think that I want to do at least one more chapter. It shall feature Kimmy and Mokuba's first date! Just because I can! And because in this fic, they are the only ones who aren't married, excluding Ryo and Bakura. What will happen on Mokuba and Kimmy's date, which you've probably forgotten about until just now? Will everything go as planned? Or will things fall apart? Stay tuned for: 'Can't Help Falling In Love.' Please R&R!

-Mandy

P.S. If you want a lemon, review and say so! And I would like to thank YamiBakura1988 for being the only one to review so far! (Seriously, the first time, I posted on Facebook: "I gots a review I gots a review I just got a review yay! I is happy now!" Those were my exact words, hence the terrible grammar.)


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